Danisnotonfire sets fire to France
by Sasha57996
Summary: It all begins on a summer afternoon.. No, I'm really not kidding. The main character starts off by getting locked out of her house, and a mysterious stranger happens to come along while she's waiting outside; Dan Howell. Little does she know, her summer holiday just got a whole lot more exciting...
1. Chapter 1

**So hey, guys! This is my first fanfic, so I would love it if you guys left reviews letting me know if you want me to carry on writing or if you just liked the first chapter. Thanks for reading! **

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I thank the driver as I step off the bus, smiling to myself as I think of the relaxing two months of holiday ahead. I love summer holidays, mainly due to the fact that I don't have to do any work and can do nothing but eat, sleep and explore the internet for days on end. As I turn the corner to walk down my road, I hum happily and begin to mentally pack my suitcase for France - I still have a few weeks at home before I leave, but I can't wait. Even though we go every year, I love our holidays to the French countryside; just me and my mum, a picturesque house in the middle of nowhere, and a fortnight of glorious sunshine. Heaven.

When I'm a few houses away from home, I begin searching through my school blazer for my key, which usually takes a while as I keep literally everything in my pockets. Literally. Everything. I slow down as I walk up the path to our house, frowning slightly as I dig deeper in my pockets - where's that damn key? After about five minutes of frustrated searching, I give up and dump my school bag and sports kit on the pavement before I sit on the wall outside our house. Great, now I'm locked out. Checking my phone, I remember my mum telling me that morning she had some work meeting in Sheffield and wouldn't be back until later on this evening - perfect! Just perfect! Stuck outside our house in my stupid school uniform with nothing to do for at least two hours. I scowl and mutter something about stupid northern trains to myself as I begin to untangle my headphones, yanking on the wires impatiently. "Ugh!" I throw them on the ground and cross my arms, sulking. This is a crap way to start my holiday.

"Are you okay?" A voice makes my head snap upwards suddenly, and I open my mouth ready to tell the stranger to get lost when I realise they're just trying to be friendly. I sigh quietly and pick up my headphones from the pavement.

"I'm fine, thanks," I say as I uncross my arms in order to shove my headphones into my pocket.

"Really? You look like you're kinda pissed off…" The guy standing in front of me has his head cocked slightly to one side, and I resist the urge to tell him to mind his own bloody business. I mean, I look pissed off? Really? No shit, Sherlock.

"If you must know, I locked myself out of my house," I say, scowling again.

"Oh, uh... Can I call anyone for you?" He shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other, his hands in the pockets of his black skinny jeans.

"I am capable of picking up a phone, you know," I hiss at him, and he actually takes a step back, putting his hands up in front of him.

"Okay, sorry I asked," he raises his eyebrows at me, which disappear under his longish black side fringe, and turns to walk away. I sigh once again and stand, putting one hand on his shoulder to make him stop.

"Listen, I'm sorry. That was kinda rude of me. My day doesn't seem to be going particularly well at the moment, and I didn't mean to take it out on you. I'm Danielle. Nice to meet you." I offer him my hand along with a small smile, and he shakes it, grinning back at me.

"I'm Dan," he says, grinning even wider. I can't help but smile properly back at him - he's actually pretty cute.

"No way!" I laugh, and take my hand back. "Your last name's not Furness as well by any chance, is it?" He laughs with me, shaking his head.

"No, it's Howell, although that would be pretty awesome." We grin at each other for a moment longer, before he reaches up to rearrange his fringe. Dan looks kinda like a goth, what with all the black he's wearing (and that adorable haircut) but he doesn't seem like that kind of person. "Seeing as you've probably got nothing to do for a few hours, could I be cheeky and ask to take you for a drink? Starbucks is just around the corner."

"Um, sure," I blink, momentarily taken aback. He's asking me out? Seriously? As a general rule, cute guys don't do that kind of thing with me. For one thing, I'm a nerd, and why choose me when there are so many sporty, confident girls bouncing around everywhere? Not that I'm not confident, just sort of quiet...

"I said, do you want to leave your bags behind?" I realise Dan must have been talking while I was mentally babbling.

"Yeah, I'll throw them over the back wall. One moment," I smile, and bend down to grab my school bag. Before my hand can reach the strap, he takes it for me - such a gentleman! I chuckle silently. "Thanks," I say, jumping over the wall and walking around the side of my house. I stop when I reach the garden wall, and take my bags from Dan, thanking him again before chucking them over the wall into my garden. "Shall we go, then?"

I catch him glancing at me out of the corner of his eye a few times as we walk side by side down the pavement, and I smile to myself. This is certainly not how I expected my evening to go, and I have to say, I couldn't be happier about it.


	2. Chapter 2

When we reach Starbucks, Dan insists on paying for my hot chocolate, which of course makes me feel bad for ordering whipped cream and hazelnut syrup. We sit near the wall on two comfy armchairs, and sip our drinks while Dan eats his panini. He offered to buy me one as well, but I wasn't that hungry.

"So," I say after a few minutes of listening to the sounds of gentle chatter and laughter around us, "Do you live in Oxford?" Dan finishes his last bite of panini and brushes crumbs off his (black) t-shirt as he speaks.

"I live in central London at the moment with my flatmate, Phil, but we used to live in Manchester."

"Oh, awesome! I love London, especially at Christmas - the market in Hyde Park last year was amazing. Did you go?" I lean further back in my seat and blow on my hot chocolate to cool it down as I listen to his voice. I find myself thinking how nice it is to hear someone who actually speaks properly..

"Not last year, no, but I've been once or twice before. It was pretty amazing," he chuckles. "I remember going ice skating with Phil and completely failing. I'm literally useless at anything that requires me to either have a sense of balance or be fit." I stop myself from commenting aloud on his fitness.. I have a feeling that might just make things awkward between us. Besides, I only just met him. I realise I've been ignoring Dan for the past few moments (again) and glance down at my drink, embarrassed.

"Sorry, I don't mean to keep zoning out on you," I mumble, hoping he doesn't notice my face going red. I look up at him from under my lashes to judge his reaction, and I'm surprised to see he's smiling at me with a slight twinkle in his eye.

"I think it's cute. It's like you're disappearing into your own little world, trying to figure out some intricate problem no-one else is aware of." I blush, going even redder. He thinks I'm cute! I mean, me. Cute. "Woah, that was kinda deep," Dan laughs, and reaches up to rearrange his fringe again. I take one last mouthful of chocolatey goodness to distract me from my embarrassment, and place my empty mug on the table in front of us.

"Ooh, I have an idea! There's a great park around here if you feel like going for a walk? There are some great trees for climbing." Only after I say this do I realise just how childish I sound. Climbing trees, seriously? He must think I'm so immature! I'm guessing he's at least three years older than me..

"That would be great!" Dan grins at me. "I haven't climbed trees in ages! I'm not sure my jeans will let me, but I'm willing to give it a go," he laughs again.

"Have you noticed my school uniform?" I laugh with him. "I'm basically wearing a kilt, for god sakes."

"Ach! Are ye saying ye cannae go a-tree climbing, wee lassie?" Dan says in what must be the most awful Scottish accent I've ever heard, which consequently makes me laugh so much I nearly fall off my chair. I put on an equally awful accent and reply with,

"Nae, I love to go a-tree climbing in my kilt! Aye, 'tis a sign of a true Scotswoman." By this point we're both bent in half with laughter, holding on to the sides of our chairs for dear life. After a few moments spent regaining my composure, I stand up, stretch, and wait for Dan to follow. "The park's not that far away from here, only about five minute's walk."

"Sounds good," he says, smiling at me with that same twinkle in his eyes again. We reach the park after about ten minutes, having gotten distracted by several stuffed llama toys we found in a shop window on the way. Thankfully it's still sunny, and I lead Dan to my favourite section of the park; right at the end, where the neatly mown grass meets a mini-forest. It's beautiful in the spring, and the perfect place to come when I just need a little time on my own. I walk over to my favourite tree, by far one of the tallest of the bunch, and motion for Dan to follow. "Ladies first," he says when joins me at the base of the tree. I smile.

"Not when that lady is wearing a skirt." He laughs, and begins to look for a decent foothold on the gnarly tree trunk. I climb up after him and we both find a branch to rest on, facing each other as we look out over the park. We stay there for hours, talking about anything and everything, until the sun begins to set and the sky turns streaky and orange. "Someone's probably at home now, but thanks for entertaining me while I waited," I smile up at him gratefully.

"You're welcome," Dan smiles back. "We should do it again sometime." A little bubble of happiness floats up inside me. I really do like spending time with Dan, and he is really rather good looking.

"Sure!" I say, trying not to sound overly eager. "Shall we swap numbers?"

"Sounds like a good idea," he says as we get out our phones. We save each others' numbers, climb down the tree, and I begin to walk home with Dan accompanying me. We part ways outside my house, both promising to get in touch with the other soon, but I spend the next weekend with my grandparents and the following week doing homework and various chores around the house. Before I know it, it's time to leave for France. My one afternoon with Dan seems almost like a peaceful dream, his number in my phone a faint reminder of fun times. I board the ferry across the English Channel thinking only of sun, beaches and beautiful countryside, with no idea at all what was awaiting me in France.


	3. Chapter 3

**I love getting reviews, so please take a moment to tell me what you think of the story so far! Also, let me know if there's anything you really want to happen later on in the plot, and thanks for reading!**

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The ferry journey was pretty uneventful, but at least there was free wifi; I don't know what I would have done otherwise, stuck on a boat for five hours with nothing but a somewhat boring book to read and no Internet access. As soon as we reach France I get changed into my shorts and tie my hair back, ready to sunbathe for the entire car journey to where we were staying - first, however, I take out my phone and switch to the special SIM card I bought a few weeks ago so I can get a decent signal in France without it costing a fortune - not that anyone's going to be sending me messages or calling me, of course, but you never know.

Three long hours later, we finally arrive at the house. I drag my bags inside, help my mum unpack some of the food we brought, then hunt around for the keys to the bike shed so I can go for a scenic cycle around the countryside and basically just stretch my legs. I cycle down empty roads surrounded by fields, which then turn into footpaths, which then turn into forest. I have to push my way through overgrown grass and tall wild daisies to reach a small river running through the trees, which has a bridge about half a metre wide going over it. There are no railings, but I can't remember there ever being any and we've been staying at the house for about eight years. My granddad rebuilt it when I was little - it used to be a barn of some kind, but it was falling down and completely inhospitable - and now it's a modest two bedroom house surrounded by fields and forest, with a stream running past just a few metres from the front door. I absolutely love our yearly holidays here, even if it does get a bit lonely sometimes.

I leave my bike behind and cross the bridge, then sit down on the other side of the river and look out over the water. It really is beautiful here. About five minutes walk away, there's an old mill that's been converted into a huge four-storey house with a gigantic garden; I've been inside a few times, but I think the guy who owned it moved away and now there's a new couple living there. There's also a small cottage overlooking the river which various people stay in each year, but I don't usually talk to them that much as it tends to be sappy couples who want a romantic weekend away staying there. From my vantage point by the riverbank, I can just about see the cottage; it looks like someone's staying there now, but all the windows are shut and the lights are off. I let out a relaxed sigh and lean back against the grass, closing my eyes against the bright sun. I stay there for a few minutes just enjoying the peace and the heat, when I hear voices coming from somewhere behind me. That's funny - it sounds almost like Dan. I smile to myself as I think of that afternoon and the fun we had, feeling faintly regretful that we didn't stay in touch as we'd planned. Oh well. As I lie there soaking up the sun, the voices get louder, and I hear someone say 'Phil' - could it actually be Dan? That would be crazy though.. Why on earth would he be in France? The voices get further away, and I go back to sunbathing and thinking about pretty flowers and countryside views.

"Danielle?" One of the voices is suddenly behind me, and I almost leap into the river I'm so shocked.

"Holy crap, you scared me!" I shriek at the guy standing in front of me, and it takes me a moment to realise it's Dan. He's actually in France. "What the hell are you doing here?!" Once again, I'm aware that I'm overreacting, but whatever. He crept up on me, so he deserves it.

"I could ask you the same thing," he says, raising his eyebrows at me again.

"Hey, Dan? Where'd you go?" A tall guy with a similar hairstyle to Dan appears over his shoulder, who I assume must be his flatmate, Phil. "Oh - hi! Who're you?"

"I'm Danielle. You're Phil, right?"

"Yeah, that's right - rumours are I'm amazing," he says, grinning at me. I'm not sure what he's on about, so I turn to Dan. Is Phil a bit special or something?

"He's AmazingPhil. You know, from YouTube," Dan informs me with a small smile. Slowly the cogs start to turn in my head, and a moment later I realise who Phil actually is.

"Oh my gosh, I know you! My best friend is literally in love with you!" I grin thinking of my best friend back in England, Olivia. I've known her since I was 2 when we went to nursery together, and we've basically grown up like sisters. If she knew I was talking to AmazingPhil right now, she'd probably pass out… But wait, isn't there another youtuber Phil is best friends with? Oh. My. Gosh. I look at Dan more closely. "You're danisnotonfire!" How could I not have realised that before? I'm such an idiot! Both guys laugh.

"So I am." Dan looks slightly embarrassed, as does Phil. "Have you watched any of our videos before?"

"My friend showed me a few of them, yeah - they're really funny!"

"Thanks," he smiles. "So, what are you doing in France?"

"I'm on a secret spy mission, actually," I joke. "No, I'm staying in a house about 20 minutes bike ride away from here. It's my family's house, I come here every year. Whereabouts are you staying?"

"Just over there, actually," Dan says, motioning to the cottage overlooking the river. Of course! I knew someone was staying there. "How long are you staying for?"

"Two weeks - I only just arrived, actually. What about you?"

"Wow, that's a coincidence," he laughs. "Us too. Actually, we're supposed to be vlogging, but we keep getting distracted."

"I don't know how that happens, seeing as there's no internet connection out here," Phil says, smiling. "I'm not quite sure how I'm going to survive a fortnight with no wifi."

"I know a great internet cafe not too far away if you want me to show you sometime?" I suggest.

"That would be great!" He grins at me. "Thanks, Danielle."

"No problem," I smile back. "I should probably be getting back sometime soon, I've been gone for nearly an hour."

"Okay, but we have to actually stay in touch this time," Dan says. "I'm so sorry I didn't text before, I was really busy."

"That's okay, I was pretty busy too," I say, brushing grass and dust off my shorts. "I'll see you guys soon, hopefully."

"Awesome, and you have to show me that internet cafe - I'm getting withdrawal symptoms from the lack of internet here!" Phil laughs. "It was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too," I smile at them both, and turn to cross the bridge again. "Bye, guys!" As I hop back on my bike, I think about how weird that just was. I just met danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil, two YouTube kings with millions of fans between them. In France. Crazy, huh? Once again, my day hasn't gone at all how I was expecting, and I've loved every moment of it.


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